Skip to main content

Greenpeace supports Govt of India's new climate targets, as minister accuses NGO of "inciting" anti-industry protests

By Our Representative
Greenpeace India, facing Government of India (GoI) wrath over its environment-related campaigns, especially in the country’s coal belt, has issued a statement declaring its support to GoI’s latest climate targets of achieving 40 per cent electricity from non-fossil fuel sources, and 33-35 per cent emissions intensity reduction, by 2030.
Calling the new GoI goals “steps in the right direction”, the top international NGO, whose registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) was recently controversially cancelled by the GoI, however, took exception to “the economic and social justification for a coal expansion of the scale envisioned.”
The Greenpeace statement comes close on the heels of union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju accusing Greenpeace of "inciting protests against industrial projects in the country and has warned activists and global aid organisation not to work against the government".
The statement quotes Pujarini Sen, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace India, as saying that there should have been a clearer articulation of a renewable energy target in “keeping with expectations for climate justice, as these are the people most vulnerable to climate change.”
"Given the growth in the renewable energy sector, we would have liked to see a specific target for solar and wind. Forty per cent of electricity from renewable energy by 2030 is definitely possible, especially so with financial and technical support,” said Sen.
Sen said, “Decentralised renewable energy systems, along with grid reforms, provide an opportunity for over 300 million Indians to get access to electricity for the first time in their lives.” Giving an example, the expert activist says, “The Dharnai model in Bihar we’ve worked in partnership with local communities, government and other organisations to establish, is a model solution for towns, villages and people across Bihar and India that have been deprived of energy for decades.”
In Dhanrai village, Jehanabad district, the Rs 3 crore solar-powered micro-grid, according to Greenpeace, provides a “comprehensive, first-of-its-kind enterprise that provides 24x7 electricity to more than 450 households and 50 commercial establishments”.
Sticking to its opposition to coal-based expansion, however, Greenpeace said, “The scale of expansion of another 170-200 GW power from coal is baffling. This will set back India’s development prospects, by worsening problems of air quality and water scarcity, as well as contributing to the destruction of forests from mining, and the displacement of communities.”
The NGO quotes financial analysts as predicting that “electricity from renewable energy, especially solar, will be cheaper than coal within a few years, so where is the economic rationale for investing in what might well be stranded assets?"
The statement also quotes that Sanjay Vashist, director, Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), as saying that India, through its announced Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) for renewable energy, has demonstrated “its willingness to play an important role on the international stage ahead of the climate talks in December in Paris.”
“India's signal could no doubt be much stronger – going even further to help the international community avoid unmanageable climate impacts – should the rich and developed countries step up and provide adequate finance and technology support", Vashist says.
In yet another INDC target, India has declared its willingness to create an additional carbon sink of up to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover.
Greenpeace believes that while this target is admirable, “the government needs to ensure that any afforestation or forest regeneration programmes recognise the primacy of community rights and avoid monoculture plantations. More importantly, the government should prioritise protecting existing forests, including from threats such as coal mining, to achieve the stated forest targets.”

Comments

TRENDING

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk  Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat."  In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

Biden urged to warn Modi: US can declare India as worst religious freedom offender

By Our Representative  During a Congressional Briefing held on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has wondered why the Biden administration should raise issues of mass anti-minority mob violence  -- particularly in Haryana and Manipur -- with Modi. Modi should be told that if such violence continues, the US will be “compelled by law” to designate India as one of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom, she urged.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Why iconic Urdu book stall, publishing house Maktaba Jamia died an 'unnatural' death

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed*  We have all grown through the fragrant flavours and flairs of our childhood, one of them being our childhood mother-tongue historic magazines like, “Thakurmar Jhuli” (Bengali), “Khilauna”, Payam-e-Taleem" (Urdu), “Hans” (Marathi), “Parag” (Hindi), “Chitralekha” (Gujarati), “Chandamama” (Telugu), etc. I “drank” Urdu while suckling his mother and learnt the language not from any madrasa, school or college but from these publications only — my treasure trove!

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi*  The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the  2050 net zero commitments , a new study  released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Evading primary responsibility, ONGC decides to invest Rs 15,000 crore in sick subsidiary

By NS Venkataraman*  It is reported that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will infuse about Rs 15,000 crore in ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPaL) as part of a financial restructuring exercise. ONGC currently holds 49.36 per cent stake in (OPaL), which operates a mega petrochemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat. GAIL (India) Ltd has 49.21 per cent interest and Gujarat State Petrochemical Corporation (GSPC) has the remaining 1.43 per cent.

Sales, profits of Indian firms 'deteriorate', yet no significant increase in cost pressures

By Our Representative  The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A's) latest Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES), a monthly exercise, has said that while cost perceptions data does not indicate significant increase of cost pressures, sales and profits of the Indian firms have deteriorated.

Why Bangladesh is achieving 'new heights' amidst economic collapse of Pakistan

By Sufian Siddique*  Pakistan's economy is on the brink of bankruptcy like Sri Lanka's. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have fallen below $3 billion. They have asked the IMF for a 'bailout loan' a long time ago, but the IMF is trying to impose strict conditions that Pakistan's current ruling coalition has no capacity to meet. Even China and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's long-standing loyal friends, are now reluctant to shoulder Pakistan's burden.